The Department of Tourism has started distributing licences to mountain guides, issuing the first such licence to mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa, who has scaled Mt Everest 24 times, which is a world record. SC questions criteria for issuing licence to mountaineering guides EDITORIAL: Guide licence Mira Acharya, director of Mountaineering Division of DoT, said the department was providing licences to guides to add professionalism to Nepali mountain tourism. The licence provided by the department will have validity for five years. As Sherpa was the first mountain guide to register his name, he became the first licence recipient and the department is in the process of approving licences of other applicants, said Acharya. "Over 150 applications have been received and the department is verifying them," she said, "The response from stakeholders is satisfactory too." Continuing the legacy of mountaineering in the country, distribution of mountain guide licence can be considered as recognition from the government, she added. Issuing a notice on March 10, DoT had called for eligible guides to submit their applications for the governmental licence. There are different criteria set for the mountain guides to apply for the licence. "To avoid random distribution of the mountain guide licence we have embraced the policy of prioritising skills and knowledge," she said adding, "For example, the rule states that guides who have received recommendation from Nepal Mountaineering Association can obtain the licence. However, we will be checking other eligibility criteria too before issuing the licences." She further claimed that the mountain guide licence will help to make the mountaineering sector more dignified as those without the government licence will not be allowed to accompany any climbing team as mountain guides. They will be recognised only as high-altitude porters. A version of this article appears in the print on March 24, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.